2/13/2026
Many of you sailors may have heard of the massive sewage spill into the Potomac upstream from Georgetown. It is more or less contained, though repairs may involve additional sewage release(s). Repairs are reported to take 4-6 weeks. The level of pollution reported varies by reporting source.
In an abundance of caution faced with very limited current information, the PRSA board has decided to suspend use of the committee boats, which also means the suspension of the Laser Frostbite Series. We will be reviewing this suspension as frequently as we get new and reassuring information. We regret the lack of sailing opportunities in the meantime.
We are basing our decision on the information provided in the Potomac Riverkeeper webinar on February 11th. During the webinar, the Riverkeeper, a watchdog group, shared data collected in partnership with the University of Maryland showing elevated E. coli levels near the spill site (up to ~4,000 times safe levels) and several miles downriver. They also found Staph and MRSA (antibiotic-resistant Staph) near the spill site and Staph at several stations downriver. As of last week, the area off WSM appears to be within EPA safe limits for E. coli.
However, the Riverkeeper emphasized that the spill situation is very much in flux: additional releases are possible as DC Water continues to make repairs over the next 4-6 weeks, and there are many uncertainties related to how melting ice and increasing temperatures will impact water quality in the river, especially downstream. Critically, there are no public agencies regularly sampling the water (e.g., daily) at multiple locations downriver, nor are any state or federal entities (with the exception of MD) stepping up to issue public health advisories. Without trusted data and information available on a regular basis, it is impossible to be confident that our sailing area is safe on a given Sunday. This shouldn’t be the case, but unfortunately, it is.
There is much more to this story as noted in the attached summary, which also includes a link to the recording.
If you would like to support spill-related efforts, consider donating to the Riverkeeper and signing an advocacy letter pushing for health advisories from local agencies.
Ed Ryan
Secretary PRSA
25-26 PRSA LASER FORSTBITE #9
Thanks to Connor for getting us a solid course! Definitely not easy given how shallow the water was.
The pin end was favored each race, so I prioritized starting there. Starts are one of my weaker areas, so I focused on getting a good line sight and working on timing. I was OCS once, but because I was at the pin I was able to go around and start on port. I only had to duck a boat or two and still managed to finish fourth. That clean lane made a huge difference and was a good reminder of how valuable clear air can be, even when things don’t go to plan off the line.
Off the start, my main focus was sailing in clear air. I didn’t have a wind indicator or compass, so I wasn’t great at catching shifts. Once I was ahead of boats, I shifted to covering the fleet rather than trying to sail the lifted tack or chase pressure. At times this meant sailing slightly headed, but the tradeoff was that I didn’t give up places, which felt like the right call in the context of the race.
Upwind, I couldn’t quite match boat speed with Laura or Steen. Even when I felt reasonably locked in, they were still able to roll or extend. That highlighted an area I need to keep working on, especially straight-line upwind speed.
Downwind, there were some small waves, and I focused on pumping and trying to surf whenever possible. The waves weren’t big, but there were enough opportunities to practice timing pumps with the wave pattern and getting the boat to surf.
Shallow water definitely came into play throughout the day. I ran aground more than once, which was frustrating but avoidable. By the last race, I was able to communicate with overlapped boats and ask for room to tack before the sandbar east of the committee boat.
All in all, a good but cold weekend.
25-26 PRSA LASER FROSTBITE #9 TOTALS
2025-26 PRSA Laser Frostbite #7
- It was critical to stay on the lifted tack, even if it meant losing a bit by staying in bad air or fighting to keep a lane (especially after the start). The alternative was to very likely lose not just a few boat lengths but dozens or more in a relatively short period of time by being on the headed tack, even briefly.
- Related: it was critical to be ready to tack at a moment’s notice to stay on the lifted tack.
- Also: sometimes the wind would decrease significantly, but not really shift very much. I resisted the urge to tack immediately during sudden lulls and waited a beat to see whether the change was indeed a header or just a shift in apparent wind that made it seem like a header.
- I spent a LOT of time with my head out of the boat, especially looking upwind for puffs. While sailing upwind, I kept an eye out to be ready for a big ease/hike and to adjust my heading when the puff came; downwind, I wanted to make sure I was ready to add extra vang and bring in my sail a bit to better handle a strong gust and ultimately avoid flipping. It was also helpful to see where other boats were and how they were heading – for example, so I could better anticipate how the next shift would affect me.
- I stayed mindful of shifting gears – especially for me, this meant releasing the cunningham during extended lulls.
- Arrive with an intentional mindset. I didn’t have the best day during the Hangover Bowl, and I think it was partly b/c I felt overpowered and frustrated that I couldn’t adjust my controls very well due to the ice. But I also didn’t come with the right mindset, and it showed. Maybe in part due to this, I came to racing Sunday intentionally with more of a “I’m going to give this day everything I’ve got – and I’m going to fight for every boat/place” mentality — but also held lightly, in an experimental, “let’s try this and see” way — and I think it really helped. I’m one of those people who just loves being on the water, and if I’m not feeling extra competitive, I still have fun – but I also like to do well. Today was a big reminder for me about the stories we tell ourselves and how shifting a mindset (or belief about ourselves) can make a big difference.
Hangover Regatta – 2026
It was cold – air below freezing and water just above freezing. And the wind was gusty and shifty from the northwest. Nevertheless, 12 sailors rigged and launched their ILCA dinghies.
The first thing they and the race committee noticed was that there was very little water. The race committee (Nabeel & Barney) had to hunt for an area with enough water for the centerboards. It wasn’t easy.
The second thing the sailors noticed was that their control lines seemed very slippery and the cleats were not holding. A sheet of water was freezing on all the control lines. The sailors adapted. If the vang cleat was not holding, one solution was to bring it back to the mainsheet cleat. Outhauls were left in whatever position they froze in.
The third thing the sailors had to contend with is very shifty breezes which not infrequently resulted in a capsize.
Despite the challenges the sailors did their best and nine completed the four races.
Three members of the Jacob family were there: James, Alex, and Erin. It was good to see them all.
Mark Sanford came down from Pennsylvania. Thanks, Mark.
After sailing and after the boats were put away, we fired up a vintage Coleman gas camp stove and heated up a gallon and a half of cider. Mount Gay rum was available to those who wanted a dollup.
The top two finishers – Alex and James – finished every race in those positions. It was a contest for third place and Skeen captured that.
Finally, thanks to Jacob D. and Dan M. for volunteering for RC, helping get the boats and marks ready to go, and helping sailors get launched.
25-26 PRSA FROSTBITE #6
A great winter day of sailing: steady, consistent wind from the south; cold but not freezing; and gray! Tom and Mike ran 5 Windward/Leeward races, with a relatively square line. We were joined by three sailors from other clubs, which made for a strong fleet. I’ve been slowly but steadily moving up the fleet this year, thanks in good measure to the two sailors – James and Steen who offer sage advice is you listen carefully. So, here’s my secret to improvement:
25-26 PRSA Laser Frostbite #4
Thanks to Jim and Dan for putting on a great day of racing. I had pretty low expectations driving to the marina, but the breeze ended up being way better than expected. Checked SailFlow afterward and it showed a pretty consistent 8 knots out of the south. I didn’t notice any major shifts, so with the short 15-minute races there really weren’t gains to be made playing the shifts.
My plan for the day was simple: start at the boat, which seemed consistently favored, and prioritize clear air above everything else. If I wasn’t bow-out on the boats around me, I tacked out immediately. I’ve noticed a lot of sailors sit in bad air far too long. To me, clean air is the most important thing.
One thing that hurt me more than once was not being fully prepared before the windward mark. I’ve gotten better at blowing my vannd cunningham before the three-boat circle, but I lost boats/positions on at least two roundings because my mainsheet didn’t run free because of tangles or wraps around my ankles. Lesson learned: get the boat sorted before you round.
Downwind, I sailed inside as much as possible. After the clinic Steen and James put on, I added a mark on my mainsheet for when the boom is perpendicular to the boat. Dead downwind or by the lee, I set the boom to that mark or about three feet farther out. For the first time, I felt like I had decent downwind boat speed.
The leeward mark was absolutely the critical moment each race. Coming in from the inside on starboard, the key was to make a clean, tactical rounding that either matched or improved on the boat in front. With the boat end favored, the only play was to sail all the way to layline and then tack. Tacking early basically guaranteed you wouldn’t catch the boat ahead since it forced an extra tack (I tried and it hurt). I also noticed many people rounding too tight and then sailing too low and too slow afterward. Sailing just a touch wide and rolling into a clean, powered-up exit made a noticeable difference. I also threw my vang handle over the port gunwale before the rounding so that after the gybe it was already positioned for a quick adjustment.
All in all, a great day on the water!
25-26 PRSA LASER FROSTBITE #3
Happy late Thanksgiving everyone!! It was wonderful to have our first foul weather frostbite of the year. Ten sailors braved ~40-degree weather, off-and-on rain, and 10-20 mph wind. Congrats to Kaitlyn, Tom, and Tyler for winning today’s six races.
Today’s courses tended to have long starboard tacks, which was unfortunate for me – I accidentally brought two left gloves out with me and had to spend several minutes fighting to keep my mainsail sheeted in with a backwards glove on my right hand. This also meant that most of the passes took place at the marks, so boathandling during roundings was at a premium. In medium-heavy air, it’s crucial to ease the vang on approach to the windward mark and use your body weight to turn the boat. These actions relieve weather helm and help turn the boat more efficiently. Tom and Tyler seemed to a particularly good job of cleanly rounding the weather mark and getting a good jump on the downwinds. At the leeward mark, it was important to preset your controls for the upwind and doing a wide and tight rounding. I passed more than a few people today by making sure I was on the correct (port) gybe approaching the mark and going wide-and-tight around the mark to make sure I got inside position. Every time I messed this up, I got passed.
After the races, I had a brief conversation with Tyler about heavy wind downwinds. The first thing I told him is that I prefer to reach, rather than sail by the lee in breeze over 12 mph. It helps keep the boat upright, makes pumping and planing easier, and allows for more maneuverability on short notice. We also discussed body position in the cockpit. As a rule of thumb, you want to be at the front of the cockpit in a Laser any time the hull is not planing. On lighter downwinds, I try to have by center of mass even with the daggerboard. Having weight further forward in the boat lifts the largest surface on your hull (the stern) out of the water to reduce drag. In heavier breeze, I try to move back to the widest part of the hull to use my weight to more effectively prevent death rolls.
Thanks to Brian Joseph and his daughter for setting excellent courses and taking care of us on the water. They did an excellent job of setting up pin-favored lines, which made for more tactically interesting starts and fewer clumps at the boat end of the line. See y’all next week.
-Connor
25-26 ILCA Frostbite #2
PRSA Annual General Meeting & Awards Banquet: November 15, 12:00-3:00 pm, Alexandria Bier Garden
Greetings PRSA Sailors,
Our 2025 PRSA Annual General Meeting (AGM) & Awards Ceremony will be held on November 15, 12:00-3:00 pm, at Alexandria Beer Garden (710 King Street, Alexandria VA, 22314).
PRSA will cover the German buffet (Brats, Spätzle, Vegan Wurst, Schnitzel, Potato Salad, German Chocolate Cake, Apple Pie, and more) — there is no door charge this year! Beverages are not included in the buffet, but a nice selection of German (and other) beers as well as non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase.
Please RSVP using this form so we know how many people are coming! More importantly–please attend! We need a quorum of voting (skipper) members to approve our updated PRSA Bylaws to put PRSA on solid organizational and financial ground for the coming years. We will also elect a new slate of PRSA Officers and, of course, celebrate the racing year with awards and lots of good cheer!
Aaron
2025 Fall Series #4 October 5
John Van Voorhis, Nic Bogren, Kyra Tallon, and Nick Allen ran the races. The wind was light which could have resulted in no races or few races, which plagued the earlier fall series, but they were able to get off four races — good for them!